Auxiliary mailbox flag



A ril 15, 1952 E. c. ESTEN AUXILIARY MAILBOX FLAG 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1949 IN VEN '1 OR.

April 15, 1952 E. c. ESTEN AUXILIARY MAILBOX FLAG 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1949 INVENTOR. fiazdziz 65335922,

ATTD R N EYS Patented Apr. 15, 1952 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUXILIARY MAILBOX FLAG Edwin o. Esten, Lima, Ohio Application October 26, 1949, Serial No. 123,569

3 Claims.

This invention relates to signals or flags used on rural mail boxes for indicating that mail has been deposited in the box,' and in particular an auxiliary flag attached to the usual mail box flag which snaps to an outwardly extended position to facilitate indicating the presence ormail in the box from a point on the longitudinal axis of the box.

The purpose of this invention is to improve the visibility of a mail box flag whereby theposition of the flag may readily be observed from the side or end of the box.

The usual mail box flag is nested against the flat side of the mail box when the mail box is empty and when mail is placed therein thefla is actuated to a vertical position to indicate the presence of mail therein. The flag, being mounted against the side of the box, remains parallel to the side of the box and it is, therefore, difficult to determine the position of the signal from a point on a plane parallel to the longitudinal center of the box. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates an auxiliary flag mounted in combination with the usual flag and adapted to snap to an outwardly extended position when released as the usual signal or flag is actuated to an upwardly extended position to indicate the presence of mail in the box.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for mounting an auxiliary flag on the staff of the usual mail box flag whereby the auxiliary flag is parallel to the usual flag when the mail box is empty and positioned at right angles to the usual flag when the mail box contains mail.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary mail box flag which extends outwardly to indicate the presence of mail in the box that may be attached to the usual mail box flag staflf.

A further object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary signal flag for rural mail boxes that is adapted to extend at right angles to the usual flag, which is of .a simple. and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies an auxiliary mail box flag pivotally mounted by a pin in a bracket adapted to be attached to the usual mail box flag stafi, and a spring for retaining the auxiliary flag in a position parallel to the usual fla and also for holding the auxiliary flag in an outwardly extended position.

Other features and advantages of the invention willappear from the following description 2 taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing an end of a mail box with the auxiliary flag attached to the usual signal flag staff in full lines and also indicating the position of the auxiliary and usual flag in dotted lines before the auxiliary fiag has been moved to an outwardly extended position, the rear portion of the mail box being broken away.

Figure 2 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 showing the signal flag in the upwardly extended position showing that mail is in the mail box and with the auxiliary flag extended outwardly.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the auxiliary flag attachment illustrating the position of the auxiliary flag with the parts latched.

Figure 4 is a side elevational View of the signal flag taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 with the auxiliary flag in a latched position and with parts broken away.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan taken on line 5+5 of Figure 4 also showing the parts in a latched position.

Figure 6 is a detail showing the upper corners of the flag with parts broken away and illustrating the auxiliary flag in the unlatched position.

Figure 7 is a plan view similar to that shown in Figure 3 and showing the auxiliary flag in the unlatched position similar to that shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a similar detail showing the auxiliary flag moved through an angle of to the indicating position.

Figure 9 is a detail illustrating the bracket for attaching the auxiliary flag to the usual flag staff.

Figure 10 is a similar detail illustrating the inner end of the auxiliary flag with the outer part of the flag broken away. i i

Figure 11 is a detail illustrating a modification wherein the auxiliary flag is pivotally mounted in the attachment on a stationary pin with slots provided in the mounting hub of theauxiliary flag.

Figure 12 is an elevational view similar to that shown in Figure 4 showing the type of mounting illustrated in Figure 11 with the parts in the latched position and with parts broken away an shown in section. 3

Figure 13 is an end elevational view of the type of mounting shown in Figures'll and 12.

Figure 14 is a detail showing a plan view of the inner end or hub of the auxiliary flag shown in Figures 11 and 12.

Figure 15 is a similar view showing the opening from this flange.

through a flange of the mounting bracket of the attachment shown in Figures 11 and 12 and with the auxiliary flag shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the auxiliary mail box signal of this invention includes a panel or flag II], a mounting bracket I I. a pin I2 and a spring I3.

The flag I5 is formed with a flat panel having hubs I4 and I5 on the inner end with notches I6 and I1 spaced from the hubs and with a U-shaped flange I8 extended outwardly between the hubs.

The bracket H is formed as illustrated in Figure 9 with outwardly extended flanges 2i) and 2I which are provided with slots 22 and 23 respectively for receiving the end of the pin I2 with the pin extended through the hubs I4 and I5 of the flag In. with lugs 24 and 25 positioned at the edges of the flanges 20 and 2| and spaced from the slots of the flanges whereby with the ends of the-pin I2 in the adjacent ends of the slots the lugs register with notches I6 and ll of the flag I0. With the parts in this position the spring I3 snaps the flag I outwardly to the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 8 where it is at a right angle to the usual signal flag 26. As illustrated in Figure 5, one end 21 of the spring bears against the face of the bracket II and the other end 28 bears against the inner face of the flange I8 of the auxiliary flag.

The bracket l I is also provided with a short flange 29 on the inner edge, and clips 30 and 3I, which extend around the staff engaged end of the flag 26, as shown in Figures 7 and 8 extend The bracket is also provided with clips 32 and 33 that are bent around the upper and lower edges, respectively, of therflag 26, as shown.

It will be noted that with the auxiliary flag I 0, as illustrated in Figure 3, the flag will be retained in a parallel position against the usual flag 26 and. when it is moved as in Figure 6 it will be snapped by the spring I3 to the outwardly extended position as illustrated in Figure 2. When mail has been removed from the box the flags are moved downwardly to the position shown in full lines in Figure 1 and the auxiliary flag I0 is pressed against the flag 26 and slid back to the position illustrated. in Figure 3 where it is latched by the lugs 24 and 25 whereby it will remain in this position.

In the modified form illustrated in Figures 11 to 15, inclusive, hub elements 34 and 35 of an pin 39 and with one end 48 of the spring bearing against a semi-circular flange 490i the auxiliary flag and with the other end 50 of the spring bearing against the base of the bracket 42 the spring will snap the auxiliary flag to the extended position when the flag is slid to the unlatched position with the edge 45 removed from the notch 44. In this design the bracket 42 is provided with clips similar to the clips 30 The bracket is also provided.

and 3| which extend around the inner end of the usual flag 46, and clips 52 corresponding to the clips 32 and 33 that extend over the edges of the sides, respectively, of the flag 46. It will be understood, therefore, that the auxiliary flag may be attachedto the usual flag with the pivot pin movable or in a stationary position, as may be desired.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the usual signal flag is carried by a staif 53 that is pivotally mounted on a pin 54 in a bracket 55 on the side of a mail box 56 having a cover 51 and the bracket 55 is provided with a projection 58 over which the stafi 53 is snapped to retain the flag in the upright position.

With the parts arranged in this manner the auxiliary flag of this invention normally remains in the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 1 wherein it is parallel to the usual signal flag and as mail is deposited in the mail box and the usual flag actuated to an upright position the auxiliary flag is snapped outwardly to a position perpendicular to the usual flag, as illustrated in Figure 2, whereby the presence of mail in the box may be determined from a point parallel to the longitudinal center of the box.

It will be understood that the other modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: v

1 In an auxiliary signal for a mail box having a usual flag pivotally mounted theron, a mounting bracket attached to the stair-attached end of the flag, an auxiliary flag having a pin fixedly mounted on its corresponding end, said pin being slidably connected to. said mounting bracket, latch means retaining the auxiliary flag in a position parallel to the usual flag, and means in the bracket for urging the auxiliary flag to an outwardly extended position perpendicular to the usual flag when the latch means is released.

2. In an auxiliary signal for a mail box having a usual flag pivotally mounted thereon, a mounting bracket attached to the stall-attached end of the flag, said mounting bracket having outwardly extended flanges thereon and said flanges having elongated slots therein, an auxiliary flag having a pin fixedly mounted on its corresponding end, said pin slidably mounting the auxiliary flag in the slots of the said mounting bracket, latch means retaining the auxiliary flag in a position parallel to the usual flag, and means in the bracket for urging the auxiliary flag to an outwardly extended position perpendicular to the usual flag when the latch means is released.

3. In an auxiliary signal for a mail box having a usual flag pivotally mounted thereon, a mounting bracket attached to the end of the flag, an auxiliary flag, a pin mounting the corresponding end of the auxiliary flag on the bracket, said pin being slidably connected to one of said parts and fixedly connected to the other of said parts, latch means for retaining the auxiliary flag in a position parallel to the usual flag, and means in the bracket for urging the auxiliary flag to an outwardly extended position perpendicular to the usual flag when the latch means is released.

EDWIN C. ESTEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS g V I Date 

